The weather was not great but I bagged Cannon from the Lonesome Lake / Hi Cannon trail. It was raining at the trailhead, sleeting mid-mountain and snowing at the summit with about 100' visibility. It was still early in the season so the ground at the summit was only partially frozen and snow wasn't sticking as fast bi cam back up the next weekend to head to the Carters and it is full-on winter on the summits.

Hiked in from the Lafayette Place Campground exit Friday night, hit the trail up to the Appalachian Mountain Club Lonesome Lake Hut, dropped off our gear, went back to the car and brought up all the food for the rest of the weekend. On Saturday 7 of us hit the trail around 10am and broke the Kinsman Ridge Trail up Cannon Mountain with another large group. We summited and went a ways down the trail to the Cannon Mountain Ski Lodge not too far from the summit to relax before descending back the way we came. Spent another night and hiked out Sunday.

Learned that maps are important on this one. Thought we we doing the Kinsman's, ended up having fresh panini on Canon with the 1 million tramriders. Great views, food was okay, climbing friend buddy almost took the tram down, NOT what we were expecting. Great summit if u are looking for others sharing the same views, solitude is not found here. What a trip for a first 4000 footer, bought many maps after it, haha.

An hour and thirty five minutes to the top from the parking lot to the observation tower via the Kinsman Ridge Trail. Quite icy on the ascent so I decided to descend via a ski slope and found out I could glissade using only my sneakers and hands if I crouched close to the ground. I routinely ate up hundred meter stretches of descent that way for very little effort and it was a blast. Since I wasn't tired yet and I had plenty of daylight to burn I hit Mt Cardigan on the way back south later in the afternoon.

I climbed up via the Kinsman Ridge Trail in rain. It was a short hike so I started in the late afternoon. Thick, pea-soup fog at the top, but it started to clear, and I could see fast moving clouds and late afternoon sun over the Franconia Ridge from the observation tower. I met only one other group of people on my way up.

Did the Lonesome Lake/HiCannon Trail with Flanders after arriving in Boston earlier that morning. Went up from Lafayette Campground to the Hi Cannon Trail. Scrambled around the Cliff House for a bit, then back on the normal trail to the summit where there were many from the Tram there. Hiked back down to the Kinsman Ridge and then down to Lonesome Lake where I ran into a moose just before the lake. Was a young bull with about 3 points on his rack. He circled us until I spotted him about 15 yards away in the trees looking at me. When I faced him, he then turned and hopped into the thicker trees. Had a snack at the hut before getting back down to the car.

We set out to ride the Cannon Mtn Tramway to the top and then hike down. We asked SHERRY at the Tramway ticket office before we started about hiking down and she said we had to take the Kinsman Ridge Trail. We asked how long it was and about the terrain. She said it was "a rugged trail,2 miles long, with some loose rocks and boulders". We were given no further instruction or even a map, so ASSUMED (I know, I know) this was a well marked and regularly completed fette. Taking the tramway up to the top, we were streamed to the Kinsman Ridge Trail by sign and yellow tape blocking us from going anywhere but the trail we hit. We clambered along for 2 hrs, guided by tree markings and very few signs, before we made the decision to backtrack. The terrain was very difficult, muddy and slippery and did not seem to be heading at all back to the tramway parking lot. Back at a junction sign, we met another hiker who steared us to Lonesome Lake. When we got there, we were told we had to hike miles yet to get down to LaFayette Campground to exit the woods. It took 6 hours; and then, we were still miles from the Tramway parking lot. What happened to 2 miles, SHERRY! We were extremely fatigued, dehydrated (we were only taking a 2 mile trail!)and sickeningly disheartened. We strongly suggest better signage and guidance, starting at the ticket office. Severe injury or deaths on the trail can't be good for tourism. Not a great experience.

Went up to Lonesome Lake (very pretty) and then up the Lonesome Lake Trail to the Kinsman Ridge Trail. The last half-mile on that trail was a little rough. I expected a challenge, but the guidebook seriously underplayed the effort. Still made it, though.